[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 31, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H1780]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 21, 1997, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard) 
is recognized during morning hour debates for 2 minutes.
  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, later today the Republican leadership 
will bring to the floor the supplemental appropriations bill. I regret 
that I must oppose this bill because the offsets included in this 
legislation are simply not acceptable.
  It is unconscionable that badly needed funding to support our troops 
in Bosnia and Iraq, and disaster relief for States like California, 
which have sustained upwards of $500 million in damages this winter, 
are unnecessarily being pitted against important programs which benefit 
the American people.
  Despite the fact that more than 80 percent of the funds in this bill 
are for the Department of Defense, the Republican majority has not 
offset these costs by making one cut in defense spending. Instead, they 
have chosen to play partisan political games by making cuts in programs 
they know the administration and Democrats cannot support.
  For example, Republicans have chosen to make cuts in education, the 
AmeriCorps Service Program, which gives disadvantaged youth a chance, 
and the Section 8 Program, which provides critically needed housing for 
our Nation's families, the elderly and the disabled.
  The Republican leadership is sending this bill to the floor knowing 
it will be vetoed, and knowing that our troops and our communities will 
be left waiting for desperately needed relief.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve more. These funds should not 
be held up by political gamesmanship. I ask my Republican colleagues to 
put our troops and our communities first and to reconsider this ill-
conceived tactic.

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